Method of fastening an article by means of a bolt to be shot into said article, and means for carrying out said method



3,377,903 TO BE SHOT ID METHOD W. E. KORTE G AN ARTICLE BY MEANS OF ABOLT INTO SAID ARTICLE, AND MEANS FOR CARRYING OUT SA April 16, 1968METHOD OF FASTENIN Filed Nov. 10, 1965 iill INVENTOR 7 J 5 AWilheZmwFremm u: [072-6 Patented Apr. 16, 1968 3,377,903 METHOD OFFASTENING AN ARTICLE BY MEANS 6F A BOLT TO BE SHOT INTO SAID ARTICLE,AND MEANS FOR CARRYING OUT SAID METHOD Wilhelmus Everardus Korte,Meerstraat 3, Naarden, Netherlands Filed Nov. 10, 1965, Eer. No. 507,186Claims priority, application Netherlands, Nov. 10, 1954, 64-13373Claims. (Cl. 85-10) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLGSURE A method and means forattaching sheetlike material to a support by explosively driving a bolthaving a screwthreaded end through the material and through a fasteningmember into the support and at the same time forming internalscrew-threading in the fastening member and threadably engaged with thescrew-threaded end of the bolt.

This invention relates to a method of fastening an article, such as aplate, to a carrying member, in which a bolt is shot through the articleinto the carrying member, and the article is locked against the carryingmember by fixing a nut or similar, bored fastening device on to the rearend of the bolt. The invention also relates to means for carrying outthis method.

As defined in the above terms, both the method and the means are knownto the art, and much used for fixing wall, roofs, thin steel oraluminium sheets to steel structures, concrete skeletons, or othersupport structures. It is an object of the present invention to shortenthe time required in carrying out the method, and at the same time toobtain a good attachment. It is a particular object of the invention torender such attachment moreover detachable.

In the method according to the present invention, the fastening device,which consists of material admitting of some deformation, is placed infront of the rear end of the bolt with its bore into-axial relationshipto the latter, the diameter of said rear end being in excess of thediameter of said bore, the arrangement being such that, as the bolt isfired, this rear end is also shot fast into the fastening device. Whenthe bolt is fired by means of a conventional gun the fastening elementmay be placed against the article to be secured at the muzzle of thegun; the fastening device may also be placed about the tip of the boltand used as a means for guiding the leading end of the bolt in thebarrel of the gun. The fastening device is preferably made of apolyamide, such as nylon, or of a synthetic resin having similarproperties, and preferably has a flange having a pre-arranged centralperforation zone, and a sleeve, formed integrally with said flange andextending oppositely to the direction of perforation. The sleeve may beprovided with ribs on the inside, and an annular external groove may beformed in the transition zone between the flange and the sleeve, so thata cap may be placed over the ready connection, to protect the assemblyagainst weather influences, and secured in said annular groove by ashouldered end portion.

The attachment end or rear end of the bolt is preferably provided withscrew thread. When this rear end is shot into the fastening device thereis formed a counter profile of the threaded bolt end in the material offastening device, so that the fastening device can again be loosened, ifso desired after cutting off the flange portion thereof, if it isdesired for a wall or the like to be made accessible again, for examplefor making changes in a building or a separation, or for making anopening, or otherwise.

The invention will be further described, with reference to theaccompanying drawings, illustrating by way of example means for carryingout the method. In said drawings,

FIG. 1 illustrates, in cross-section, a ready attachment;'

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the fastening device used in theattachment shown in FIG. 1;

" FIG. 3 is a plan view of the device shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 shows the attachment shown in FIG. 1, provided with a protectivecap;

FIG. 5 illustrates a phase whilst the bolt is fired;

FIG. 6 illustrates a phase in a slightly different manner of firing thebolt.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates a bolt comprising a shank 2, athreaded rear end 3, and a tapering front end 4, there being a conicaltransition portion 5 between the shank 2, provided with a roughening 6,and the threaded end 3.

Referring particularly to FIG. 1, around the parts 3 and 5 of the boltis a fastening device 7, consisting of a polyamide, such as nylon, whichis illustrated by itself in FIGS. 2 and 3. The fastening device 7comprises a flange 8, having a central zone 9, adapted to be perforatedby the tip 4 of the bolt, and a sleeve 10 formed integrally with saidflange. The upper end of the sleeve is internally provided with axiallyextending ribs 11 projecting radially inwardly. During the perforation,the material of the central zone 9 is stretched by the shank 2, 4, 5,and the material of the sleeve 16 is extended to take up the threadedend 3 of the bolt 1, the ribs 11 being forced into the threading. In thecondition before the bolt is fired, the flange 8 has a conicalundersurface. The conical space defined by this surface and the surfaceof the article to be fastened, for example, a sheet 12 is partly filledup by the displaced material of the portion 9 and for the rest theflange is forced into surface-to-surface contact with the article 12 bythe pressure of the fluted transitional portion 5 and the threaded end3, so that the whole space between the sheet 12, the fastening device 7and the bolt 1 is filled, and a firm, stressed attachment is obtained.It is also possible that the material of the central portion 9 displacedby the bolt is forced into the interspace in a thin layer. For the sakeof simplicity, this has not been shown in the drawings, which have beenkept more or less diagrammatic. The carrying member 13 may be a sheet ofconcrete or a carrying member of any other material admitting a bolt tobe driven into it by shooting.

To facilitate any removal of the fastening device 7, the sleeve 10 is ofhexagonal outer shape, as shown in FIG. 3.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 5, the fastening device 7 has beenplaced in the muzzle of the barrel 15 of a shooting gun aginst thesurface of a sheet 12 to be fastened, the central portion 9 extending asa pilot into a hole previously made in the sheet 12, and the bolt beingin contact with the leading end of the ram or piston, the latter beingshown in an intermediate position as it is fired. The bolt is guided ina manner known per se by means of a guide ring 14, which breaks oif asit is resisted by the member 7. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 6, theflange 8 of the device 7 itself is used as a guide ring for the leadingend of the bolt 1, so that the separate guide ring 14 is not used.Depending on the method used, the barrel of the shooting apparatus isdifferent, as shown, for example, in FIGS. 5 and 6'. In FIG. 5, thesleeve 10 of the fastening device is housed with more or less radialplay in a recess in the front end of the barrel 15; in FIG. 6 the boreof the barrel 16 is ofsubstantially'uniform diameter, and the leadingend of the piston 17 is provided with a chamber 18, in which thethreaded end 3 of the bolt is accommodated before the latter is fired.As the threaded end 3 is driven into the sleeve 10, the chamber slidesaround the sleeve to enclose the same. The chamber it) should naturallyhave a suitable diameter relative to the original external diameter ofthe sleeve 1.0. As illustrated, the back portion 19 of the chamber is ofreduced diameter for centering the trailing end 3 of the bolt, and thefront or leading end of the chamber has a diameter just sufficient toadmit some radial expension of the sleeve when the bolt is forced intoit. Particularly good results are obtained when the chamber 18, andpossibily the sleeve 16 as well, are made conical.

FIG. 4- illustrates how the attachment can be protected from weatherinfluence by the superposition of a cap 2% having an inwardly extendingcollar 21 fitting an external annular groove 22 of the element '7.

The length of the shank 2 of the bolt 1 is selected in accordance withthe thickness of the article to be fastened, which, instead of, or inaddition to, the sheet 12, may for instance be a thick layer ofinsulating material.

It will be evident that modifications and variations of the embodimentdescribed can readily be made by those skilled in the art withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in andby the following claims.

I claim:

1. Means for fastening a plate-like article to a carrying member bymeans of a fastener and a bolt comprising in combination with theplate-like article and support a fastener of deformable material havinga sleeve-like body with an open end and a flanged end opposed to saidarticle and including a protuberance engaged in the article aperture,said bolt having an impaling end presented toward the body protuberanceand an enlarged externally threaded end extending away from saidimpaling end, a barrel element having boring therein in which to receivethe fastener, and a plunger element forcibly movable in the barrelelement to shoot the impaling end of the bolt through the sleeve andinto the support and the threaded end of the bolt into the interior ofthe sleeve-like body of the fastener, one of said elements includingboring therein dimensioned to receive and exteriorly embrace and confinesaid sleeve-like body of the fastener as the bolt end is being shotthrough the sleeve whereby to cause the threaded part of the bolt todeform the interior of the sleeve-like body during said bolt shootinginto internal threading mating with the external threading of the bolt.

2. Means as defined in claim 1 wherein the boring dimensioned to receivethe sleeve-like body of the fastener is provided in an end of the barrelelement engaged with the plate-like article.

3. Means as defined in claim 1 wherein the boring dimensioned to receivethe sleeve-like body of the fastener is provided in an end portion ofthe plunger element engageable with the threaded end of the bolt.

4. Means as defined in claim 1 wherein the sleeve-like body of thefastener is provided adjacent its open end with interiorly projectingprotuberances which facilitate the deformation of the interior of thesleeve-like body into said bolt mating threading.

5. Means as defined in claim 1 wherein the exterior of the sleeve-likebody of the fastener is non-circular to receive a manipulating wrenchthereon.

6. Means as defined in claim 1 wherein the exterior of the sleeve-likebody of the fastener is provided with a groove adjacent the flanged endand in which is removably receivable a retaining portion of an overcapformed for extending over the open end of the sleeve-like body and thethreaded end of the bolt therein.

7. A disconnectable connection between a solid support and an initiallyunthreaded sheet-like article, comprising a bored fastening membercomposed of deformable and reboundable elastic material, a bolt having ascrew threaded rear end and an impaling front end, said screw threadedrear end being of a diameter greater than that of said initiallyunthreaded bore, said bolt having its impaling end driven through thebore of said fastening member and through said article fixedly into saidsupport and its screw threaded rear end thus substantially non-rotatablyforced into the bore of the fastening member and deforming said bore toprovide therein an internal screw-threaded counter-profile whereby thefastening member can be unthreaded as desired to remove the fastenedarticle from the support.

8. The method of fastening an article such as a sheet to a solidsupport, comprising placing a fastening member against one face of saidarticle and the opposite face of the article against said support, saidfastening member being provided with a bore and consisting of a materialsubject to elastic deformation, placing a bolt having a piercing frontend and a screw-threaded rear end c0- axial with said bore in saidfastening member, the outer diameter of said threaded rear end being inexcess of the inner diameter of said bore, and substantiallynon-rotatably driving said bolt to force its piercing front end throughsaid fastening member and said article into said support and saidthreaded rear end into the bore of said fastening member to form in saidbore an internal screwthread counter profile mating with the threadingof the bolt whereby the fastening member can be unthreaded as desired toremove the fastened article from the support.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the fastener employed is formed of apolyarnide or similar deformable material.

10. The method according to claim 8, in which the fastening memberduring the penetration of the threaded rear end is enclosed and confinedagainst outer dimension expansion by a surrounding wall in radialjuxta-position to the thread of said threaded rear-end.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,759,917 5/1930 Ross -551,984,117 12/1934 Davis. 2,666,252 1/1954 Temple. 2,675,607 4/1954Catlin. 2,887,925 5/ 1959 Kopf. 2,954,717 10/ 1960 Henning et a1.

FOREIGN PATENTS 184,524 1/1956 Austria. 993,021 5/1965 Great Britain.

CARL W. TOMLIN, Primary Examiner.

EDWARD C. ALLEN, Examiner.

R. S. BRITTS, Assistant Examiner.

